Mariska Hargitay Details Past Assault, ‘SVU’ Secrets on ‘Call Her Daddy’

Mariska Hargitay is widely recognized for portraying Olivia Benson on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”, yet beyond this role, she holds a multifaceted persona.

On the June 25th edition of “Call Her Daddy,” the actress had a heartfelt conversation with Alex Cooper. They delved deeply into various topics, leaving no aspect unexplored. Hargitay openly discussed her mother, Jayne Mansfield, past experiences of sexual assault (previously disclosed last year), and many aspects related to her character, Benson.

For those who are avid fans of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”, Hargitay mentioned that she identifies strongest with her character’s qualities of compassion and empathy.

She acknowledged that they shared the same courage to face their fears, yet she noted, “She may not be as humorous or exude the level of happiness and harmony I do, but given her remarkable qualities, we overlook her imperfections.

Keep scrolling for the biggest revelations from Hargitay’s “Call Her Daddy” episode:

What She Remembers About Jayne Mansfield

Mariska Hargitay expressed, “I have some recollections that it’s unclear if they are actual memories, images from photographs, or desires for events to have occurred; they could be shards of memories.” She continued, “Her life has been a journey of yearning and an attempt to rebuild connections.

At just three years of age, Hargitay experienced the tragic loss of Mansfield in a car accident that occurred in June 1967. In delving further into Mansfield’s narrative for the upcoming documentary titled “My Mom Jayne“, she will share her findings this coming Friday, June 27th.

In the film, she expressed that losing her mother was like having an empty space in her heart,” she explained. “Since then, she’s had to learn to cope with this loss and understand it.

The Biological Dad Reveal

Last month, Hargitay disclosed in a Vanity Fair article that Italian entertainer Nelson Sardelli was her biological father. During a podcast episode this week, Hargitay remembered a fan of Marilyn Monroe showing her a picture of Sardelli, which gave her a sudden realization about the truth. Hargitay also clarified why she confronted Mickey Hargitay, her father, regarding this matter only once.

She replied, “He seemed to question my words, almost in disbelief, saying something along the lines of, ‘What are you saying? Are you out of your mind? That’s completely false,'” and for a while, they avoided discussing that topic.

She Was Arrested

In 1984, Mariska Hargitay made an appearance in Ronnie Milsap’s music video for “She Loves My Car.” However, she was briefly imprisoned due to a debt of around $3,000 owed on unpaid parking fines. This term, ‘imprisoned,’ is her own choice of words, not ours.

She admitted, “I’ve had a reputation for going a bit too fast and treating stop signs more like suggestions rather than rules. However, I’ve altered my behavior since then. I wouldn’t ignore them completely, but occasionally, I would go through a red light. It’s something I’m not proud of.

Hargitay got pulled over after blowing through a stop sign and was subsequently arrested.

As a fervent admirer, I shared camaraderie with every soul within those walls, and upon my release, they graciously bestowed their contact details upon me. A cherished companion even stepped forward to cover my bail funds later on.

Working With Taylor Swift

Hargitay reflected on the 2014 “Bad Blood” music video — and being part of Swift’s iconic squad.

She expressed her delight by saying, “It was incredibly enjoyable! It’s hands down my favorite music video.” Translating to, “Being part of that group with all those amazing girls and supermodels was just fantastic, it was the best time I’ve ever had.

Hargitay remembered “boss lady” Swift being “warm and smart and kind” when they worked together.

She noted that she had gained a lot of knowledge from her, and went on to say, “What I admire most about her is her incredible courage at such a young age. She teaches us, in the most elegant manner, to be unafraid.

The Long Island Psychic Who Predicted Her Fame

One time, when my friend was facing difficulties in her acting profession, she visited a psychic on Long Island. This psychic, noticing the doubt on her face, prophesied her future success.

She reminisced, “He said, ‘Look at your expression there!… You’ll become well-known for that serious face of yours.’ Exactly six months later, I landed a role on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. I swear by my children, this actually happened.

Sharing Her Sexual Assault Publicly

In January 2024, Hargitay openly shared her story as a survivor of sexual assault, disclosing that she had been raped by a friend during her thirties. At first, she struggled to acknowledge the incident as an act of sexual assault.

She said, “I found it hard to accept that I couldn’t find a way out of it.” Even with my intellect, humor, and quick thinking, I managed to escape many situations. But this one left me puzzled because I couldn’t understand why I couldn’t find a solution. It was confusing and I ended up blaming myself. Eventually, the truth became evident.

She remembered sharing with her husband, Peter Hermann, the details of what had transpired, and him corroborating that she had been victimized by a sexual assault.

She mentioned, “I comprehend the concept of denial and disassociation, and I have a lot of space for such behaviors.” Later on, she stated, “Now, I acknowledge that aspect of myself which protected me, that part which told me I wasn’t prepared to confront it yet. And I am grateful for it.

Are Benson and Stabler Endgame?

Hargitay had nothing but amazing things to say about her longtime SVU costar Christopher Meloni.

She exclaimed, ‘Our connection runs deep. It feels as if we’ve faced adversities side by side.’ She went on to say, ‘We understand one another profoundly. Our affection for each other is immense. Our admiration and respect are boundless.’

She remembered feeling deeply saddened when he departed from SVU in 2011 due to a contract disagreement, yet she conceded that this event opened up opportunities for her to collaborate with other exceptional cast members. Cooper was curious if Hargitay and Meloni’s characters would ever develop romantic feelings towards each other on the series.

In the previous episode, she suggested that’s possibly when they belong together, Hargitay stated. If things align correctly, we’ll discover their connection as we progress. In a sense, they are soulmates.

‘SVU’ Episode She Loves

Despite having worked on SVU for over two decades, Hargitay quickly pinpointed her most cherished episode: “King of the Moon,” from Season 24, Episode 15. In this episode, which she directed, Bradley Whitford appeared as a character with dementia who was falsely accused of murdering his wife.

2025-06-25 22:25